Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institute (TII) has joined forces with Nvidia to establish a research laboratory in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), focusing on the development of advanced AI models and robotics platforms, reported Reuters.
This collaboration signifies the first Nvidia AI Technology Center in the Middle East, as confirmed by TII.
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The partnership grants TII access to specific edge GPU chips, including the newly introduced Thor chip, which is pivotal for advancing robotics research.
Najwa Aaraj, CEO of TII, noted that this chip is integral to developing sophisticated robotic systems. As part of the Advanced Technology Research Council under Abu Dhabi’s government, TII aims to bolster the UAE’s position as a leader in AI technology.
The UAE has been strategically investing in AI, leveraging its strong relationship with the United States to acquire state-of-the-art technology.
During a visit by former US President Donald Trump, the UAE secured a multi-billion dollar agreement to build one of the world’s largest data centre hubs in Abu Dhabi, incorporating advanced Nvidia chips.
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By GlobalDataTII has maintained a collaborative relationship with Nvidia, utilising its chips for training language models.
Discussions for the joint lab began approximately a year ago, and it will host teams from both organisations. Plans are underway to recruit additional staff specifically for this project.
In August 2025, Nvidia announced the availability of its Jetson Thor robotics chip module. This module is engineered to support physical AI and robotics with significant computing power and memory capacity while maintaining energy efficiency.
It supports various generative AI frameworks and reasoning models, enabling real-time performance at the edge with reduced reliance on cloud resources.
The Jetson Thor module is optimised with Nvidia’s software stack for low latency and high performance in real-world applications. It supports popular generative AI frameworks and domain-specific models for robotics, allowing developers to experiment and run inference locally.
With ongoing support from the NVIDIA CUDA ecosystem, Jetson Thor is expected to enhance throughput and response times with future software updates.
This initiative represents a significant step in the UAE’s efforts to become a global player in artificial intelligence, aligning with its broader strategy to integrate cutting-edge technology into its economic framework.
